In electrical engineering, parallel plate arrangements with defined spacing are known typically as quenching plate stacks. In this case, the plates (quenching plates) are fixed and kept apart inter alia using special lateral walls or trims and are simultaneously also electrically insulated in relation to one another in the process.
A cooling apparatus in low-voltage power switches is known, in which a fine metallic mesh or grating is used (EP 0817223 B1).
Other inventions also relate to cooling the discharged gases; for example U.S. Pat. No. 7,488,915 B2 and DE 102010034264 B3. In the case of these solutions, however, the flow is deflected multiple times. Disadvantages of these arrangements are that a build-up of pressure resulting from the flow deflection occurs along the cooling apparatus, which has an adverse effect on the switching characteristics. If this effect is to be prevented, the cross section must be enlarged. As a result of the complex flow control (inter alia many deflections) and the delicate structure, blockages of the flow passages caused by particles in the discharge and damage to the mesh can occur in the case of fine-cooling meshes (EP 0817223 A1).